Yeah, that is one big downfall of muzzle IMO..if the dog IS attacked they cant fight back and a whole host of issues can pop up. Personally, instead of muzzling your dog I would get an airhorn, some pepper spray if needed, etc etc to break up or scare off loose dogs.

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I agree with this 100%!

Odds are Malyk's aggression and frustration will only increase if he's muzzled, unable to defend himself, and loose dogs are attacking him. I would NOT feel bad about my dog injuring a loose dog who attacked them at all. Most importantly YOU need to protect your dog... stand in between him and the other dog and airhorn/pepperspray them. Be constantly vigilant about looking out for loose dogs and avoiding them. Call animal control EVERY TIME you see a loose dog. Eventually that should make a difference.

Like Green said, work diligently on desensitizing him to other dogs. His reactions and challenges provoke the loose dogs. Take him to local parks and areas with other dogs on leash and under control as often as possible, and practice Look at that/Behavior adjustment training/Counter conditioning. If he is relaxed, odds are other dogs will not approach him.

My Corgi used to be reactive to other dogs, and loose dogs would target him, making him more & more reactive. After reading Click to Calm and working on LAT every single day on every single walk, he's incredibly relaxed, knows how to exhibit calming signals, and doesn't pay much attention to other dogs loose or leashed. I can't remember the last time a loose dog even came close to us & we do see them often.

My friend's big ol' RR/Lab mix who is DA/DR and extremely protective of both of us... he trusted me to handle things (they live in MT now). If the aggressor dog kept getting close and wouldn't heed my attempts to chase it off, then he would react and give a nasty warning bark. And make no mistake, he would rumble if it didn't heed that. But usually my throwing things and yelling did the trick. Now with his owner.... well lets just say he owns her and he reacts a lot more when she's walking him.

She had a little RR she got at the shelter (he now lives with her mom permanently, as they somehow bonded super tight... she was pretty upset he jumped ship lol), when I lived with him when she first got him I did a lot of OB with him and when he matured he got to where he just flat out didn't care for strange dogs period, despite being really socialized. So that one summer I dogsat I would take the other three to run earlier in the day and then he and I would go to the playground at night to play because it meant we would be safe from loose dogs. It was very very lucky he wasn't with us the one day that some dumb teenagers brought a very poorly nerved springer spaniel out there... as it was I was so proud of the Sir for not eating it. It was such a mess pooping itself, trying to bite me and the dogs I had with me... I had Lynley leashed because he was my worry (they surprised us and thats about all I had time to do), but his neck rolls of skin... he slipped his collar of course. Jeez was so proud of our dogs that day. They were so good. That poor animal was so messed up and aggressive.

Omg gonzo, loose dogs target Scout too! I think its because she's so scared of them. Her reactivity has gone up a bit (but only when Lily is present because she feels safe with her "pack") with her relapse and she actually got defensive at a neutral dog of a breed she loves the end of last week. Some dumb guy (he was cute though, I'll give him that) had his aussie off leash running with him... on the street no less. We were almost to our house too dammit, why couldn't they have been just a little bit slower coming around the corner?? So unlike Scout to be that defensive though, kind of worries me. We're dropping into a reactivity class, so hopefully that will help. Its really small too, so it won't be too much at once. Based around stuff we already do like BAT and CU exercises. I know it'll help.

I'm not sure if Malyk is scared or not, I guess it depends on the situation. He's very protective and in certain situations he will actually go after the dog himself and initiate confrontation.. He is usually about 50/50. I've gotten so good with him now that I can tell when it will be a dog he doesn't like and I am almost always right.

The possible problem is though, with the muzzle on he is still going to react the same way but if the other dog attacks he cant which may make him even more reactive. I understand he is a powerful dog but he can be controlled...use management, head halter, no pull harness, leash wrap, etc. I would make sure to get ALL pressure off his neck best you can to help keep the reactions from amping up as well.

Omg gonzo, loose dogs target Scout too! I think its because she's so scared of them. Her reactivity has gone up a bit (but only when Lily is present because she feels safe with her "pack") with her relapse and she actually got defensive at a neutral dog of a breed she loves the end of last week. Some dumb guy (he was cute though, I'll give him that) had his aussie off leash running with him... on the street no less. We were almost to our house too dammit, why couldn't they have been just a little bit slower coming around the corner?? So unlike Scout to be that defensive though, kind of worries me. We're dropping into a reactivity class, so hopefully that will help. Its really small too, so it won't be too much at once. Based around stuff we already do like BAT and CU exercises. I know it'll help.

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LOL... I think Husky behaviors/posture/vocalizations just beckon asshat dogs them, from out of nowhere! Poor Fozz. He would never fight back, either. He just has short man syndrome. He definitely acts more full of himself when Gonzo is with him. Like "ayeee, my bro's got my back!" but he's really perfect when I'm walking him alone, like, a DA Pit Bull will come running over barking, look at Fozzie, then decide he's really boring and walk away. BAT and CU is amazing, it almost changes your dog's whole demeanor, in a really good way. You can feel how calm they become.

Green, that's a good point! Pain and pressure on the neck/spine really does increase tension and instantly makes a dog's posture look threatening if they strain AT ALL on the leash. A head halter or a front clip harness could help to relax him a lot, while maintaining control.